According to a new study conducted by a medical doctor and PhD's, chiropractic care compared to medical or physical therapy care results in a significantly lesser recurrence in those suffering from work-related nonspecific low back pain. While this is likely no surprise to chiropractors or many of their patients, what was surprising was the additional finding that in work-related nonspecific low back pain, receiving health maintenance care from a physical therapist or medical doctor was associated with a higher degree of disability recurrence than compared with receiving no treatment whatsoever. Results from the study were based on 894 cases followed for 1 year using workers' compensation claims data. If you're suffering from pain, make the safe, natural and research proven choice - call your local chiropractor today and schedule a no obligation consultation!

According to researchers in the U.K., reducing pain can be as simple as crossing your arms across the middle of your body. Researchers believe that this position confuses the brain helping to reduce the intensity of pain. It's believed the brain has internal mappings for both the body and the external space outside the body that are usually activated together. The act of crossing the arms across the middle of the body interrupts the traditional mappings and as a result appears to lessen perceived stimuli such as pain. It should be noted that some of the most common chiropractic treatments, most specifically the chiropractic adjustment, also similarly affects the nervous system in a pain reducing manner.

With the increasing popularity of energy drinks, doctors are seeing more and more cases of negative reactions experienced by the kids and teenagers who consume them. Although energy drinks contain ingredients that many believe to be relatively harmless in smaller quantities, many kids and teens as well as adults consume large amounts as they are either unaware or unconcerned with the potential harmful effects. Doctors warn that kids and teens are more susceptible to the effects of energy drinks due to their smaller and more sensitive growing body's, much more than adults. Researchers also warn that many energy drinks contain a large mixture of vitamins and herbal extracts that may cause side effects that are not always adequately understood. With the energy drink market expected to reach $9 billion in 2011 just in the U.S., alone, it's not surprising that energy drink manufacturers are downplaying a recent report warning about the hazards of energy drink consumption in the young. Did we mention kids and young adults account for half of this $9 billion market! Experts recommend kids and teens quench their thirst with water or if they're a young athlete training hard, consider a sports drink that contains sugar, so long as it's consumed in moderation.

The American Chiropractic Association (ACA) applauds federal efforts to curb prescription drug abuse following the U.S. government’s announcement in late April that the problem has reached crisis level. ACA encourages patients and health care providers to explore drug-free, conservative approaches to pain management as a first-line defense against painkiller abuse. The government’s report, “Epidemic: Responding to America’s Prescription Drug Abuse Crisis,” notes that while the use of some illegal drugs has diminished, the abuse of prescription medications has sharply increased, particularly prescription opioid pain relievers such as Oxycontin and Vicodin. It points out unintentional opioid overdoses—once almost exclusively the fate of heroin abusers—are today increasingly caused by prescription painkiller abuse. “This new report shows that while sometimes the use of these powerful drugs may be necessary, their overuse and abuse can lead to deadly consequences. The chiropractic profession offers non-drug interventions for pain relief,” said ACA President Dr. Rick McMichael. “We urge health care providers, whenever possible, to recommend drug-free conservative care interventions for their patients before prescribing medications that may be associated with harmful side effects. It’s critical that patients know their options.” The government report outlines a four-part strategy to reduce the incidence of overdose caused by painkiller abuse, including increased education; monitoring of “doctor-shoppers” who obtain multiple prescriptions; the safe disposal of prescription medications; and cracking down on “pill mill” clinics that dispense hundreds of pills per patient. ACA believes prevention is also key and that increased use of conservative approaches for pain management may curb the need for painkillers and thereby reduce the likelihood of patient dependency, overuse and possible overdose. Chiropractic care is best known for its effectiveness in treating painful conditions such as back pain, neck pain, and headaches—which are serious causes of disability in the United States. According to the U.S. Bone and Joint Decade, the number of prescription medications has increased in the past 10 years. Chiropractic care may lessen or eliminate the need for medications in some cases and help patients avoid unnecessary surgery. Chiropractic physicians treat the whole person, promote wellness and strive to address the underlying cause of patients’ ailments, not just their symptoms. Current evidence-based guidelines support the use of conservative care such as chiropractic for conditions such as chronic lower back pain. In 2007, the Annals of Internal Medicine published low back pain guidelines developed by the American Pain Society and the American College of Physicians recommending that, for patients who do not improve with self-care, doctors should consider non-pharmacologic therapies such as chiropractic care, massage therapy and acupuncture. The American Chiropractic Association (ACA), based in Arlington, Va., is the largest professional association in the United States representing doctors of chiropractic. ACA promotes the highest standards of patient care and ethics, and supports research that contributes to the health and well-being of millions of chiropractic patients. Visit www.acatoday.org.